A new environmental monitoring program is peeling back the curtain on the secret life of fish and other aquatic animals living in NSW’s coastal rivers.

The opening water allocations for NSW licenced water users reflect the significant turnaround from drought conditions to an abundance of water across the state.

An independent panel commissioned to assess the management of the 2020 Northern Basin first flush event has released its final report, Secretary for the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Jim Betts has announced.

The state’s water regulator is holding two companies to account in separate prosecutions for alleged breaches of the <i>Water Management Act 2000</i>.

Today’s water allocations announced by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for licensed water users reflect some improvement in resource availability, particularly for towns and high priority entitlements.

Two landholders from the Walgett area will face 14 charges in the Land and Environment Court for breaches of water laws in 2016 and 2017.